


I don't even know your name

by skamdeg (hamilfish)



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, I Blame Tumblr, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Not Beta Read, Strangers, Triggers, mentions of bipolar disorder, multi-chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-11-30 14:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11465874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamilfish/pseuds/skamdeg
Summary: The pretty boy from across the street is there, making a coffee. He's got the fancy machine that you can steam milk with and he looks like he knows how to use it. It's a little hot, if he's completely honest. The boy looks up and grins at Isak, smile brighter than he's ever seen before.  Isak doesn't know if it's because he's drunk but he feels fuzzy inside.orThe strangers AU no one asked for





	1. You're some kind of beautiful stranger

**Author's Note:**

> "Our flats are opposite each other and your kitchen window faces my kitchen so we always see each other making coffee at 3AM"
> 
> I found this AU on tumblr and decided to write it because I have no self-control.
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

Isak can’t sleep.

He’s staring at the dirty white ceiling, trying to remember the last time he got more than a consecutive five hours of sleep. He’s tired, his entire body feels heavy and he wishes nothing more than to fall into the sweet embrace of morpheus’ arms but his mind won’t quiet down. 

The bottle of prescribed anxiety medication is somewhere buried under the piles of books and papers on his desk, probably way past the expiration date. He’d taken them for the first week but the side effects outweighed the positive effects for him and he had no time to go back to get them adjusted. If his mom knew, she’d have his head on a stake but she doesn’t. Besides, it’s just insomnia, nothing he’s never handled before. 

He reaches over for his phone, tucked carefully under his pillow and lets out an audible sigh at the time on the screen. 3:15 AM. A great time for inner self destruction and over analysis.   

Isak decides against trying to fall asleep, knowing that he’ll just get more frustrated if he stays in bed waiting for rest to come. It’s a vicious circle he’s been through many times before and there’s no point. Instead, he decides to use this time wisely and finish up the flashcards for his midterms which are coming soon. Sooner than Isak would like them to. 

He gets out of bed and walks to his kitchen reluctantly, past Jonas’ room. The apartment is completely quiet, safe from the soft snoring coming from behind his door. It’s become kind of like white noise for him, somewhat comforting and sometimes when he’s sleeping away from home he finds himself listening for Jonas’ snores.

He takes the coffee pot and brings it to the sink to fill it with water. Outside, the street is quiet and dark, Isak wishes his mind could be as peaceful as this.

A light switches on in the building across the street, the apartment right in front of his. Isak doesn’t mean to stare but he can’t help but wonder why he’s awake at this time. When they were younger, Jonas and him would sit in the park together and make up stories for strangers walking around. They’d spend hours there just building entire lives out of thin air. Maybe the boy across the street works early morning shifts cooking breakfast sandwiches for annoying college students like him who never tip or maybe he just came home from playing a DJ set at some crazy rave on the other side of town. Isak’s deep in his thoughts when the man walks up to his sink to fill up is kettle, meeting his gaze for the first time.

Well.

He grins at him and Isak’s mind, for the first time in months and only for a split second, goes completely blank. Just a quiet buzzing in his head and a beautiful boy looking at him from the other side of the street.

Isak quickly shakes himself out of it, smiling back and giving him a small nod of acknowledgement before he turns his back to the window, starting the coffee machine up.

He waits for the coffee to be done, watching it drip slowly into his chipped mug and only allows himself to turn around when the cup is full. When he does finally turn around, the street is dark again, nothing but flickering lights and the occasional car.

 

____________________  


 

Isak stumbles into the apartment, he's trying to be quiet and not wake Jonas but he knocks over the catch-all bin.

  
"Faen" he says under his breath, picking up the change and keys from the floor.  


He’s drunk. He’d let Magnus drag him to a party out on campus and he’d drank a lot more than he’d originally planned too. Isak had spent most of the night making out with some random guy in third year who used way too much tongue and was way too desperate for his liking. When he'd asked Isak to come home with him, he'd taken that as a cue to leave.  
  
**JONAS**  
Drink some water before you go to bed  
Drunk idiot  
  
So much for not waking Jonas up. He laughs a little and walks to the kitchen. Jonas is right, water is a smart idea right now. Maybe food too if he finds anything interesting.  
  
He makes his way to the kitchen, not without tripping over a couple of things, and opens the fridge. There's not much, a couple of fruits and some juice but he does spot a box of pizza on the last shelf. It's probably Jonas' but he'll buy him another one at some point.  
  
Maybe.  
  
He pulls the box out and throws it on the table, he's not gonna bother with heating it up he’s too drunk and cold pizza is better anyways. Isak walks to the sink with the largest glass he can find and turns on the tap. He looks up to see the light is on in the apartment out front.  
  
The pretty boy from across the street is there, making a coffee. He's got the fancy machine that you can steam milk with and he looks like he knows how to use it. It's a little hot, if he's completely honest. The boy looks up and grins at Isak, smile brighter than he's ever seen before.  Isak doesn't know if it's because he's drunk but he feels fuzzy inside.

His heart always does that thing when he sees a hot guy and it skips a little, beating faster than usual. That’s how he’d first figured out his sexuality. The way his heart reacted to attractive boys even when his mind refused to admit it. He’d struggled with it throughout high school but now he just enjoyed the feeling.

  
Isak only notices he's staring when the glass of water overflows over his hand and he has to set it down, shaking his hand dry as he closes the tap. He groans and glances up to find the boy laughing at him. Who thought it was a good idea to put a window this big in the kitchen.  
  
He's absolutely gorgeous though and Isak wishes he could hear what his laugh sounds like. He's got nice teeth too and hair that's so messy it looks good.  Just a stupidly pretty boy.  
  
He lifts his cup of coffee up as to cheers, Isak lifts his water and with that, he's gone. Off to whatever it is that keeps him up at three in the morning. Isak wonders if he too, has trouble sleeping or if he actually has obligations that make him wake up so early.  
  
The pizza is stiff but he eats it anyways before going to bed. It takes him a little bit to fall asleep but when he finally does, he dreams of the pretty blonde from across the street.

 

____________________

  
  
3:23AM.  
  
Isak’s spent most of the night at the library trying to get ready for his biology exam next week. He was with Sana for a while but she’d left early on, leaving him to his books. He likes the library at this time of day, he’s usually the only one there and it makes studying a lot easier. No distractions.

On his way home, he takes a different path and walks past a coffee shop he’s never seen before. It’s closed now but he slows down to take a peek inside. It looks like a place he could come in between classes to grab a quick bite or come with Jonas on weekends when they wanna just chill outside the apartment. He takes down the name of the coffee shop on his phone and makes mental note to come back and check it out when it’s open.

When he walks into the house, he finds Eva and Jonas asleep on the couch. Isak takes a picture of them, blackmail for when his friend is being annoying and he wants to shut him up. They’re not dating, it’s something Jonas repeats multiple times a week, but Isak loves to tease him about it. Him and Magnus have money down on when they’re finally gonna get together.

He walks to the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee, half-hoping the boy who lives across from him will be up too. He knows absolutely nothing about him except for his beautiful smile and a sleeping schedule that seems to be just as terrible as his but he’s had time to come up with a million and one stories about him.

Like the one where the handsome boy is a secret agent and always has to leave for important missions in the middle of the night. The last familiar face he sees before going to save the country from an important threat is Isak’s. That’s a lot of pressure on Isak, really.

He stops in front of the mirror on the way to the kitchen, fixing his hair a little. This is stupid, he shouldn’t care.

But he does.

The light is on across the street and Isak’s heart does the thing. When he flips on his own light, the boy looks up almost instantly and smiles. He notices, as he walks closer to the window, that he’s dipping a teabag into his mug. Isak’s never really liked tea.

What he does like is the little things he keeps noticing about him. Like how he’s always wearing a simple white shirt or how he constantly forgets to close the yellow curtains before heading out. Isak makes mental notes of everything he notices about him, hoping that will help him figure out the life story of the boy from across the street. 

They don’t stay at the window for too long, the boy across the street seems to be in a rush because he transfers his tea in a to-go mug and packs up things in a backpack. Before he leaves, he stops right in front of Isak’s window and waves, a smile appearing on his face. Isak waves back, a little shaken.

He sits at the kitchen table for a while after the boy leaves, staring at his now cold cup of coffee. For a quick second, Isak considers walking out of his apartment to catch him walking out but he decides against it. He doesn’t even know what he’d tell the guy if he did end up running into him on the street.

He’s just a pretty stranger.


	2. Gutten som ikke kan lage te

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience, with school and work it's been a little crazy but here we are. I love this AU, I hope you love it too. 
> 
> See the end notes for the translation of a couple Norsk expressions used here.

Yet another sleepless night. Isak reaches over for his phone on the side table, squinting as his eyes adjust to the bright light of his screen.

2:45AM.

He sits up, stretching his arms over his head and doesn’t waste time in bed. He’s been in and out of slumber for the past couple of hours and he knows it’s not going to come. Around this time of year, his insomnia gets the best of him. Through studying and working, he doesn’t find a lot of time to rest his mind.

There’s a text from Sana asking if he wants to study with her tomorrow and one from his mom, reminding him to take his meds. He dismisses the one from his mom pretty quickly and replies to Sana on his way to the kitchen. Isak likes studying with her because she always comes prepared with flashcards and ready to quiz him. He texts her the address of the coffee shop he stumbled upon a couple of days ago and tosses his phone on the table.

He’s in the midst of making himself a cup of coffee when he sees the unopened box of tea on the counter. Eva’s voice echoes in his mind triggered by the sight of Earl Grey. _Studies show that caffeine heightens the symptoms of Anxiety, including insomnia_. She hadn’t directed the statement at him, just reading off her notebook and trying to cram as much information as she could but it had stuck to him.

Isak puts the coffee pod back and reaches over for the box of tea, ripping it open ungracefully. It’s worth a shot.

He carries his mug to the sink and smiles when he sees the light is on across the street. The pretty blonde is there, wearing a pair of sweatpants and no shirt. Isak doesn’t mean to stare but he can’t help it. He takes in the view, watching the way his body shifts as he walks.

Maybe he's a swimmer. Goes to training in the early hours of the morning so he's got the pool to himself and enough time to get ready for class after. It would explain the muscles in his bare back Isak notices when he turns around the start the coffee machine. He seems to have ridiculously long arms as well which would make him the perfect candidate to be the fastest swimmer on a college team. Isak makes mental note to check the university records and see if he can find him on the swimming group.  
  
Isak doesn't even know if the pretty blonde goes to Oslo U but he's seen him study one time, late night when he couldn't sleep. He hadn't seen him, too focused on his books to look up the window  but Isak had spent maybe an hour sat by the window watching him as he flipped through notes.  
  
He wants to know more about him, wants to know what his field of study is and if he enjoys being up this early or if he doesn't have a choice. Isak wants to find out all of the things about him but he doesn't know where to start so he settles with those late night silent rendez-vous from across the street.

He can’t keep his eyes away, blushing bright red when the boy looks up and meets his eye. He grins at him, holding his hand up in a small wave. Isak waves back at him and breaks the eye contact, looking down at the sink. He turns on the tap and waits for the water to be hot enough before filling up his mug. He only looks back up as he dips the bag of black tea into the water, only to find the blonde still watching him. He’s got his eyebrows raised a little and seems to be confused about something but Isak can’t tell what it is.

  
The boy pours his coffee in a to-go cup and adds a sugar with a splash of milk, the same as always before looking up to grin at Isak. His entire face lights up when he does so and the calm waters inside Isak's stomach turn into a storm, waves crashing and a rush going through his entire body.  
  
And then, he's gone. Lights off in the apartment, leaving Isak to his lukewarm tea which he ends up tossing in the sink after a sip.  
  
Tea is gross.

 _________________________

**JONAS**

Can you get the mail when you get home? I forgot to check this morning

Isak’s just getting home when he gets the text and he looks through his keys to find the one for the mailbox. He’s not exactly sure which one it is, Jonas is usually the one who gets the mail. He doesn’t even know if he remembers where the mail room is for that matter.

He figures out the room part pretty easily as it’s right off the lobby when he walks in but when he gets to the box, he has a couple of key options to try. He vaguely remembers Jonas, months ago, explaining to him which key does what but that has long left his memory.

The first one he tries fits into the hole but gives resistance when trying to turn it into place so he takes it out and tries a second one. This one goes in easily and when he twists it, the door pops open. There’s a couple enveloppes, mostly bills or junk mail but on the top of all the letters is a handwritten note. 

_Isak Valtersen, please come to the main desk for a package._  

He stares at the note in confusion and pockets it with the rest of the envelopes. As he walks out of the room, he tries to remember if he’s ordered anything recently or if his dad’s mentioned sending something over. He can’t think of anything specific which makes him uncomfortable.

He hates surprises, always has and he notices his heart rate go up on his way to the main desk. Isak takes deep breaths, slow and steady. It’ll be fine, it’s just a package. Nothing to it.

But what if it’s not, the voice in his head says.

This is why he doesn’t get the mail. Uncertainty makes him anxious.

Isak clenches his teeth as he walks to the main desk and fishes the note out of his pocket, sliding it towards the clerk. His face feels hot and somehow everything seems to be happening in slow motion. Isak watches as the man leans down to open a drawer and he can see every little one of his movements, like an out of body experience.

He tries to focus on his breathing, closing his eyes for a second and when he opens them again, there’s a box in front of him. A kettle. He mutters a thank you and grabs the box, practically running up the stairs to his apartment. His heart is beating fast, pounding in his head as he walks into the flat.

He drops the kettle on the table and sits on the chair, head in his hands. Isak takes a deep breath in, counts to ten and exhales. He repeats this routine a couple of times, until the beat of his heart stops pounding in his head.

When he looks back up from his hand, he notices a paper folded in two and taped to the side of the box. Isak carefully removes the piece of tape from the box and opens up the note. 

Pretty cursive. 

_Warm tap water makes terrible tea._

 -  _Even, the guy from across the street_

He stares at the note, incredulous. Under his signed name, is a phone number. 

Even. Not a swimmer, maybe a secret agent, Even. The name echoes in Isak's mind as he reads it over. Even, Even, Even.  
  
Just one more fact to add to his mental list of things he knows about the pretty neighbour from across the street. Likes his coffee with a sugar and a splash of milk, leaves his house earlier than the sun rises, has a smile that could light up the darkest rooms and his name is Even.  
  
There's a name now. When he's got his hand in his boxers and he can't sleep, the pretty blonde he pictures will have a name. A name he can groan out when he tips over the edge.  
  
Even.  
  
He's about to glance at the window to see if he's there when his phone rings. His mom. He swipes the call open and walks to his room to take it, leaving the box on the table for later use.

  
_________________________

  
"Isak? When did we get a kettle?"  
  
He's just hung up the call with his mom when he hears Jonas calls for him. He doesn't even have time to reach the kitchen before he calls again.  
  
"Forget the kettle, who's /Even/?"  
  
Isak finds him at the kitchen table with the note in end and he looks over at him with a raised eyebrow. Isak tries to think of what to say or how to explain to Jonas that he's been having this... thing with the boy from across the street. He hasn't even found the right words to explain it to himself.  
  
"Huh. He lives across the street? His window faces ours." Isak states and Jonas' eyebrows raise even more than they were previously.  
  
"How does he know you're shit at making tea?"  
  
Isak groans, taking the kettle out of the box and setting it down on the counter next to their beaten down toaster.

"We've been awake at the same time a lot? Jeg antar."

Jonas seems a little bit worried about that but doesn’t mention it, sliding the note towards him slowly.

“Well, he left you his number. At least text him to say thank you”

_________________________

One hour, twelve minutes and fifteen seconds. That’s how long Isak has been staring at his phone for. It lays flat in front of him on on his bed, a blank message page opened and ready for him to fill.

It should be easy. Just type a couple of words, hit send, close phone but Isak’s mind is in constant turmoil and whatever he tries to type either seems too eager or not enough. He’s never really had issues with texting before, in fact he always finds it easier than a proper conversation or talking on the phone but this is different.

He knows nothing about Even aside from the fact that he likes to put milk in his tea and seems to go to work at 4AM every morning. He wants to learn more, wants to use this as a way to get to know the boy from across the street but he doesn’t know how to start the conversation.

He can’t just say hey. Even won’t know who’s texting and he’ll have to go through the awkwardness of him sending “who’s this” and having to explain. Isak’s not good with awkward situations and often tends to overanalyze everything he does to make sure he doesn’t put himself in one.

Isak picks up his phone with one hand and types quickly, hitting send without even thinking about it.

**ISAK**

I need your help.

It only takes about 30 seconds for Jonas to walk into his room and sit cross legged on the bed in front of him. He’s wearing sweats and no shirt and about a year ago, Isak wouldn’t have been able to focus on anything other than the trail of dark hair dipping under the waistband of his pants.

Jonas being the first guy he’d ever admitted to crush on was something Isak had worked over but not something he’d ever forget, his entire senior year spent pining over his straight best friend. Cool stuff really.

“Skjera bro?” Jonas asks with a concerned tone.

Isak sighs under his breath, rubbing his thumb over the side of his phone nervously. “I don’t know what to text Even”

“The kettle guy?” 

“Ja. I’ve been staring at my phone for an hour trying to figure out what to say.”

 Jonas raises an eyebrow at him. “You like him.”

“No!” Isak exclaims quickly, maybe too quickly because Jonas is smirking knowingly at him. “Maybe a little? I don’t know anything about him.”

He watches as his friend shuffles on the bed to come sit next to him against the headboad and opens the blank message page again, typing Even’s number as it’s written on the note. 

“Say like, Thanks for the kettle bro!” Jonas says and Isak can’t help the laugh that comes out of his mouth. “Okay, maybe not the bro part but definitely the Thank You” 

Isak types each letter slowly and reads it over carefully. Thank you for the kettle, simple as that, but before he even has time to rethink it, Jonas reaches over his shoulder to press send.

“Jonas!!” Isak stares at him wide-eyed and shocked. 

“You said you needed my help!” Jonas grins mischievously at him.

It only takes a minute for a response to come, his phone chiming in with the notification.

**EVEN**

You’re welcome

Isak barely has time to read it before it chimes again.

**EVEN**

Does me getting you a kettle means you’ll give me your name? I don’t wanna save your number as Gutten som ikke kan lage te.

Jonas laughs next to him as he reads the text and Isak groans at him. Hitting his shoulder with the back of his hand.

“You can go now. I think I can handle the rest from here.” He says pushing at Jonas’ shoulder so he gets out of his bed. 

Jonas gets up slowly and turns around when he reaches the door.

“Your name is Isak, just in case you needed help with the next text” 

Isak throws a pillow at him but Jonas ducks expectedly, the cushion grazing the top of his hair only. He waits for him to be gone before turning his phone back on.

**ISAK**

Isak

That’s my name

**EVEN**

Well, Isak. Hope i’ll see you putting my kettle to good use at some point soon.

Isak reads the text over multiple times, his hand grasping his phone tightly. He wants to see him. He doesn’t want to get his hopes too high nor does he want to create unrealistic scenarios that will just end up making him sad when they don’t happen but there’s something real happening here. He may not know if Even’s a cook or a secret agent but at least he knows he’s not the only one who enjoys those late night meetings from one side of the street to the other.

He’s not sure if it’s the rush from knowing Even wants to see him again that gives him this confidence but he types a response quickly without turning back.

**ISAK**

See you at 3AM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeg Antar - I guess  
> Gutten som ikke kan lage te - The boy who can't make tea


	3. Slow Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are!! Thank you for your patience, with school and work I've been a little overwhelmed trying to find the time to finish this chapter. The next (and final) chapter will be the longest one yet so please bear with me, a lot will happen in that one and I want it to be perfect. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

Isak groans, face pressed into his pillow when his alarm goes off. The worst sound in the universe. Especially for someone who’s just spent all night in and out of sleep and definitely not fully rested. But school awaits and he has an important lecture today so he doesn’t have a choice but to go.

He reaches over for his phone and turns off the screeching alarm. He’s careful to press stop and not snooze, not wanting the loud ringing to come back. If Isak could live without alarms, he’d probably be a lot happier. He drags himself out of bed slowly, stretching his arms over his head. 

Coffee. God he wants coffee so bad but he hasn’t had any in almost a week now to test out Eva’s statement. So far it’s just been a load of bullshit and his biggest take away from this whole experiment is that he really hates tea. He sits at the kitchen table and sighs, wanting nothing more but to reach over and push a pod into the machine.

Just when the thinks he’s about to give in, his phone chimes and a notification pops up on his screen.

Even.

They’ve been texting quite regularly since exchanging numbers but neither of them has felt confident enough to suggest meeting in person. Isak certainly won’t. It’s easy to do this over text, he can be more bold, a little flirtier even but he doesn’t think he could do that with Even standing right in front of him. He’d be a mess, blushing cheeks and tripping over words so he’d rather keep it this way. At least for now. 

He looks up to the window, hoping to see him looking back at him but the apartment is empty. Isak knows Even is rarely home during the day but there’s still a hint of disappointment. Somehow looking at him as they text makes it feel more real, more intimate.  
  


 **EVEN  
** How’s the kettle treating you?  
  


Isak smiles at his phone, a flutter forming slowly in the pit of his stomach. He hears Jonas at the back of his head, telling him to wait before texting back so he doesn’t look too eager but he ignores it. Isak doesn’t care, he likes talking to Even too much to pace himself.  
  


 **ISAK  
** it’s alright, i guess?

 **EVEN  
** Alright?? This is a top of the line kettle I’ll have you know.

  
Isak can’t help the laugh that comes out of his mouth. Even’s been making him do that a lot. Laugh. It’s easy to forget about the rest of the world when he’s talking to him and that’s just what Isak needs. To forget. The quiet buzzing in his head when he’s texting Even is just enough to keep him from going completely insane.  
 

 **ISAK  
** i’m not a big fan of tea  
i only drink it because caffeine apparently heightens things like insomnia  
but i still can’t sleep so that’s shit 

 **EVEN  
** What kind of tea do you drink

 **ISAK  
** Black? it says English breakfast on the box.

 **EVEN  
** Isak.  
Black tea has caffeine in it  
  


Isak reads the text over a couple of times. Well fuck that then. He’s been forcing himself to drink tea for an entire week trying to sleep better for absolutely no reason. This is why he shouldn’t listen to Eva.  
 

 **ISAK  
** Hva Faen ????

 

___________

 

Jonas reaches over into his plate to grab one of the toast and Isak groans, too slow to stop him. He does this almost every morning, it’s become part of their daily routine. Much like hearing Jonas’ snores as white noise in the background of the apartment, his mornings wouldn’t be the same without his best friend stealing half of his breakfast.

They’ve been friends for years now and Isak’s pretty certain that his life would be much different without Jonas in it. He’s always taking him out of his comfort zone and dragging him on adventures that Isak would never actively seek out on his own. Anxiety’s a pretty big barrier in his life but Jonas always knows exactly what to do and what to say.

Isak’s only half listening to Jonas blabber about a party they’re going to next friday and how it’s going to be the event of the year when his phone buzzes in his hand. He smiles when he sees Even’s name on his lock screen. Isak doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the butterflies in his stomach that come alive whenever Even texts him.

 **  
EVEN  
** Do you live with your boyfriend?

 **ISAK  
** My boyfriend?

 **EVEN  
** Dark curly hair guy? The one who’s always at the apartment

Isak laughs loudly at that text, shoulders shaking a little and when he looks up he finds Jonas staring at him from the other side of the kitchen table.. 

  
“Fy faen. What’s so funny?” his brows are furrowed a little as he asks, more curious than anything else.

“Even just asked me if you were my boyfriend.” Isak answers with a grin.

Jonas barks out a laugh, saliva landing on the notebook in front of Isak which he wipes off with the back of his sleeve. 

“I can see why he’d think that.” Jonas takes the last bite of his toast as he speaks. “I like that he’s interested in your dating life though. Probably wants to see if he’s got a chance.” 

“Stop we’re just friends.” Isak groans out before texting Even back.  
  


 **ISAK  
** hahahahahaha  
Jonas is NOT my boyfriend  
Just my roommate  
  


Jonas comes behind him as he sends it and wraps his arms around his shoulders, lips pressed against his temple.

“Come on honey, we’re gonna be late for class”

Isak bites on his arm, just enough to get a yelp out of his friend.

“Fuck off”

 

___________

 

 

Isak stares that his ceiling and listens to the silence around the apartment. There’s the faint humming of their old refrigerator and sometimes the sound of a car driving past his window but no snoring, he notices. Jonas must be spending the night at Eva’s.

He reaches over for his phone on the bedside table, eyes small as he adjusts to the light. 

3:45AM. 

Maybe Even’s awake.  
 

 **ISAK  
** Good morning  
  


He sends the text quickly. Quick enough so that he doesn’t have time to overthink it and then sets his phone face down on his chest. He’s always weary about texting Even first, a little scared of him not answering or finding him annoying. Isak’s deep in his thoughts when he feels his phone buzz against his skin. It’s maybe just a minute or two later but it feels like an eternity to him.  
  


 **EVEN  
** Can’t sleep?

 **ISAK  
** As per usual.  
Can I ask you something?

 **EVEN  
** Anything you want

 **ISAK  
** Why are you always up so early?

 **EVEN  
** I work the opening shift at a coffee shop before class.

 **ISAK  
** Oh. That makes sense.

 **EVEN  
** Which I’m gonna be late to.  
Have a good day x

 **ISAK  
** Yeah.  
You too, Even.  
  
  
Their conversations, no matter the length, are always too short for Isak. He gathers bits of informations about Even here and there but he wants to know more. He wants to know about his major, his favourite colour and whether he prefers to walk or take the tram. Isak wants to ask all of these things to Even but he doesn’t want to see like he’s pushing too much so he takes it slow. Makes mental notes of every detail that Even decides to share with him in the hopes that it will help him paint a better picture of who Even is.

 

___________

 

 **EVEN  
** You look nice  
  


Isak’s  phone chimes in his suit pocket and he pulls it out careful not to wrinkle it. There’s a big event at the firm he works at and although he’s only there to file the mail, he’s still been invited and Isak’s not one to turn down an open bar.  
  
His face immediately flushes read when he reads the text and he looks up to find Even grinning at him from behind his window. His smile seems earnest and it gives Isak a boost of confidence he didn’t know he needed. He texts back quickly.  
  


 **ISAK  
** You think? Suits make me uncomfortable

 **EVEN  
** Ja.  
I think it’s hot

  
Isak can’t quite keep his eyes away from Even. He’s looking at Isak in a way he’s never experienced before. Is it lust? Something more than that and it makes Isak feel hot, like his entire body is about to catch fire. He can’t remember the last time he’s been this attracted to someone and he never wants this feeling to go away.

He has to look away just for a second, to text him back and when he sends it, he looks back up quickly to watch Even react.  
 

 **ISAK  
** You think I’m hot?  
 **  
EVEN  
** Very.  
  


Isak’s head spins a little at that, unable to process what he’s reading and the way Even’s licking his lips on the other side of the street.

Fuck

He’s never considered himself hot and although he’s never had any issues pulling guys, it’s not an adjective he would use to describe himself. He only ever hooks up with guys when he’s really feeling up to it and most of the time it’s after a couple of drinks. Somehow, Even saying it brings a whole new layer to that word too. He wants to know what else Even thinks about him, what kind of things he’s filed away trying to learn about Isak’s personality just as much as Isak’s been trying to discover about him.

Isak’s pleased to learn that his attraction isn’t one sided and that Even seems to be into him as well. He’s definitely not confident enough to suggests meeting him in person but he hopes Even will soon, hopes he’ll take the lead so Isak has no other option but to jump into it.

He’s terrified at the idea that he won’t be what Even’s made him up to be. It’s a constant thought that occupies his mind, behind his other insecurities, how maybe Even’s created this idea of Isak that is the complete opposite of how he actually is.

  
And the one thing Isak is most afraid of, is disappointing people.

___________________

 

 **EVEN  
** You’re so fucking hot, Isak  
  
**ISAK  
** Takk…  
  


Even’s watching him from the other side of the street and his stare makes Isak go red. He’s never really thought about walking around shirtless and who could see him through the window but he’s aware now. It’s hard not to be when he’s got Even texting him about how attractive he is while watching him.

Another text chimes in and Isak allows himself to look away from Even to read it.  
  


 **EVEN  
** I wish I could touch you…  
What would we do if I was over at your place?  
  


He’s never done this before. It feels very intrusive, like he’s letting him into his deepest and darkest secrets, and he’s not exactly sure what he’s supposed to say. Is he supposed to detail to Even everything he’s ever imagined doing with him? Share the thoughts that have fueled his late nights jerking off sessions? Isak’s not sure he can bring himself to do that.   
  
But it’s also a little exciting, the fact that Even’s just across the street watching him, waiting for him to make the next move. Isak feels the blood rush through his body and his jeans feel tighter too. The idea that Even is thinking about him like that, picturing him in his bed when he touches himself drives Isak completely mad.

He palms himself with one hand, texting Even back with the other. He’s unable to look up from his phone, paralyzed by a mix of arousal and fear.  
  


 **ISAK  
** Let me go to my room

 **EVEN  
** Mmm.  
I liked looking at you  
Makes everything feel a little more intense  
 

Isak feels himself blush as he walks quickly back to his room. He’s still not sure what he needs to text Even but he knows he needs to get the edge off now, his cock pressing painfully against his jeans. He doesn’t remember the last time he’s ever been this turned on.

Isak climbs into bed and kicks off his jeans, sighing happily at the release in pressure and immediately pushes his hand into his boxers. The thought of texting Even as he’s doing this crosses his mind but he doesn’t know what he’d say and he knows he’s not going to last long anyways. Not with the image of Even staring at him across the street, not with the words _I wish I could touch you_ floating around his mind.

His free hand drops the phone he’s holding and moves up his chest, touching as if it were Even. He can almost feel him, over him and breathing heavy against his skin. Isak’s hips arch into his touch, lips parted slightly as he moans out a sound that sounds like Even’s name. He wants him, wants to feel his hands travel across his body as he’s doing with his own. Isak’s toes are curling already, the promise of climax right there at his fingertips. He wants to cover Even with come, needs to see his broad chest and defined collarbones painted with stripes of sticky white. That image does it for him. The picture of Even laid out on his bed, hair messy and skin glistening with sweat and semen takes him right where he needs to get. Isak comes with a guttural groan, all over his hand and boxers and lays there, stroking himself lazily until it’s too much, too sensitive.

When his breathing slows down, he wipes his hand on the sheets under him and reaches for his phone, texting Even back.  
  


 **ISAK  
** I’m not very good at this but i just touched myself?  
is that what i’m supposed to text you? God sorry, this is so terrible

 **EVEN  
** I think you're supposed to text me during

 **ISAK  
** I need my hands during though…

 **EVEN  
** What do you use both hands for?  
Tell me

 **ISAK  
** huh, one on my dick and the other one just like… everywhere I guess?  
  


This is definitely just as uncomfortable as it was earlier and he doesn’t know how to give Even what he wants. This isn’t natural, Isak thinks. In bed, he can let go of his barriers and just let his body do the talking but he doesn’t know how to put his thoughts into words. Isak wishes he could send a mental image to Even, show him exactly what he wants him to do, where he wants him to touch.  
  


 **EVEN  
** do you think about me?

 **ISAK  
** You know I do

 **EVEN  
** Tell me more Isak

 **ISAK  
** I think about your hands…  
  


 _This has to be the most unsexy thing Even’s ever experienced_ , Isak thinks, trying to figure out how he can make this better for him. He fiddles with his thumbs a little, unsure of what to add when a new text comes in.  
  


 **EVEN  
** Where are my hands touching you  
  


Isak blushes at that, adding to the heat of his face. He wants to open up to Even but he can’t seem to find the right words. No sentences good enough to make his fantasies justice. For a second he pictures Even in his room on the other side of the street, one hand around his cock and the other texting Isak. His dick jumps slightly at the image, clear and detailed in his mind.

  
Even must sense he’s uncomfortable and unsure of what to text back because he sends another message soon after.  
  


 **EVEN  
** Do you want to know what I’m thinking of?

 **ISAK  
** Please

 **EVEN  
** I’ve been thinking about this a lot actually. Every time I get myself off, I think of you. You under me, your fingers digging into my back and my hands discovering your body. Your pretty lips red and parted slightly when you moan my name. As I hope you did earlier…  
  
  
Isak groans low when he reads the text and absentmindedly wraps a hand around himself, growing hard again. No one’s ever turned him on like this before, Isak’s not even sure he’s ever made himself recover this fast from an orgasm. He’s a little sensitive but the slight burn makes this a million times more intense.   
  
He uses his free hand to text Even back, so he doesn’t think he didn’t like it.  
  


 **ISAK  
** Faen  
That’s so sexy

 **EVEN  
** Think I can make you come again ;)?

 **ISAK  
** Ja

 **EVEN  
** (Photo)  
  


Isak opens the photo and barely has time to register it that he’s coming again, in hot spurts on his chest. He lets his phone fall on the bedsheet as he tries to slow his breathing down, his leg jerking slightly from the aftershocks. He’s so fucked.  
  
When his breathing’s gone back to a semi-normal state, Isak picks up his phone again to look at the picture a little better. His mind’s still a little glazed over from the orgasm but he needs to see it again. It’s pretty. Of course it is, everything about him is. What strikes Isak the most though is the size of his hand, wrapped around himself. He makes a mental note to remember that next time he fingers himself, how Even’s fingers would fill him up so much better.  
  
He saves the photo quickly and not knowing how to respond with words, resorts to sending Even a selfie. He makes sure to get the part of his chest where the come is drying slowly and sends it before he can convince himself not too.  
 

 **EVEN  
** You’re beautiful

 **ISAK  
** And sleepy  
 **  
EVEN  
** I want to meet you. Get to know you, hold you  
  


Isak could cry, from exhaustion but mostly from finally hearing Even say the words he’s been waiting to hear since they started talking. He knows it won’t be long until he’s fast asleep and dreaming of Even but he takes a quick second to type a response.  
  


 **ISAK  
** I would like nothing more


End file.
